Printing-plate



E. E. NOVOTNY.

PRINTING PLATE.

APPLICATION FILED 050.1.1916.

1,377,503. Patented y 10,1921.

5 wvewlo'c, lmzzjjlmiig $513 alike Lung) STES nMII. n. NOVOTNY, orRIVERSIDE, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T0 3. STOGDELL stones or moonns'rown, newJERSEY.

PRINTING-PLATE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May MD, 19211..

Application filed December 1, 1916. SerialNo. 134,323.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known thatI, EMIL E. NovoTNY, a citizen of the United States andresident of Riverside, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Printing-Plates, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to stereotype plates such as are used in printingand embossing, and particularly in an improved method of making thesame.

In the present instance it is my purpose to provide a plate of thischaracter wherein the impression face is formed of a smooth,close-grained, durable material, such as copper, brass or other suitablemetal of relatively high melting point which is intimately united withthe body of the plate, the latter being composed of the usual soft metalsuch asa lead alloy having a relatively low melting point.

As is well known to those skilled in the art, ordinary stereotype platesare made either entirely of a soft metal, such for example as an alloyof lead and antimony, or are composed of some such soft metal, coated orfaced electrolytically with a very .thin film of copper "or nickel.Furthermore in the manufacture of such plates it is the common practiceto employ a papier-mach matrix which is made by laying the flong, ormatrix forming sheets on the face of the locked type, and heating orrolling the flong against the type to reproduce the type faces, thendrying the matrix and subsequently casting the stereotype platetherefrom. Such a plate possesses certain inherent disadvantages amongwhich might be mentioned excessive and objectionable porosity, resultingin granular printing; softness of metal, which is conducive to the rapidwearing of the printing surface of the plate; and finally inability toproduce in printing, sharp clear outlines, thus incurring the loss ofdetails. I I

The above mentioned objections and others of a similar nature areovercome or eliminated by my plate which possesses the further advantagethat it may be made by the exceedingly. simple, rapid and economicalmethod herein recited, which obviates the ncessity of having recourse totedious complicated and expensive manufacturing processes.

With the above recited objects and others of a similar nature in view,my invention conslsts 1n theimproved plate and in the method of makingthe same set forth-in and falling within the scope of the appendedclaims.

In the drawings,-

Figure 1 is a cross sectional view taken through a complete plateembodying my 1nvent1on.'

Fig. 2 is a view of a conventional form of press and showing a step inthe manufacture of the matrix or mold for the plate.

Fig. 3 is a similar view of a second step 1n the manufacture of theplate.

In the practice of my invention, the body of type, which is indicated bythe numeral 1, is locked in the chase as usual, and is placed on the bed2 of any preferred or suitable form of plress which also includes theplaten 3. S110 press is herein merely conventionally shown. Upon theface of the type body I superpose a thin wafer-like sheet of malleable,ductile metal as shown at 5, copper, brass or soft steel beingpreferably employed. 1 then superpose upon the metalv sheet a secondsheet shown at 6, and which may be composed entirely of a phenoliccondensation'product, such as that known as condensite, or may be in thenature of a composite sheet comprising a facing layer of the phenoliccondensation product, and a backing layer of any suitable,inexpensive'material, such as paper. This phenolic sheet if desired mayhave an asbespressi'ons form the type faces and rounded non-printingportions, as such phenolic product when in 'a proper state of plasticityhas but a restricted surface flow, while providing a rigid back. Thisphenolic sheet 6 is preferably heated prior to its application to themetal sheet 5, so as to give it the required plasticity, but in someinstances it may be advisable to heat it while in the press. Afterthemetal sheet and the phenolic sheet have been assembled relative tothe type body, as described, the upper platen '3,of the press, islowered toward the bed 2 and into contact with the phenolic sheet in amanner and under sufficient pres-' sure to cause the type faces to beembedded in the metal sheet 5, preferably to a prede termined ordefinite depth so that while the lower or type-contacting face of thesheet 5 will have type-formed depressions 7 therein,

and the upper or outer face of such sheet will have type elevations orprinting portions 9 formed thereon which are faithful reproductions ofthe type faces of the original type body, the non-printing portions 8between these type elevations or printing portions 9 of the sheet beingswelled or I curved by reason of the surface tension exercised on themetallic sheet, and the pressure exerted on'the sheet against thesupporting action of the individual type underlying the sheet, as willbe understood by reference to my co-pending application filed May 20,1916, Serial No. 98,906. Likewise,-

that face of the phenolic sheet 6 which contacts with the metallic sheet5 will have type depressions formed therein, by the type elevations ofthe metallic sheet; After the pressure has been exerted for a sufiicientlength of time to form the. sheets as above described, it is released,and the next step is to remove the imposed sheets 5 and 6 from the typebody in the press.

I might here mention that if it is desired *to produce a flat matrix formaking flat printing plates the sheets may be permitted to remain in thepress until the phenolic sheet has set to hard, inflexible'form, but

if it is intended to ,make acurved matrix,

for producing curved printing plates, then .the sheets are removed fromthe type body and press while the phenolicsheet still posse$es a certaindegree of flexibility or be- .fore it is completely set so that it maybe bowed or bent to curved form, along. with the metal sheet as may berequired, and as will be readily understood. When the two contactin.sheets 5 and 6 are removed from the type body-"and press they arecarried to a casting box 11, and clamped in proper position therein, anda body of molten metal is poured therein and against the face of themetal sheet 5 having the type-formed depressions 7 therein, so that whencooled a soft metal backing 12 results which-is faced by the metal sheet5, the type-portions 9 of.

which are intended to form pr nting or impression faces. The backing 12may be a soft metal such as a lead alloy, or it may be aluminum or anyother suitable substance. Preferably the metal sheet 5, before beingused is treated on the backing face b being chemically cleaned with asuitable c emical such as a soldering fluid, and while still moist fromthe cleaning chemical is coated on this face with a thin layer ofalcohol rosin solution which dries out to a thin film of rosin toprevent the greasing or. soiling of the surfacetand the ormation ofoxids and to furnish a proper flux for the union of the backing.

After the backing 12 has been applied by casting, the whole isremovedfrom the box and the backing 12, is then trimmed or shaved, preferablywhile the metal sheet 5 is still in contact with the phenolic sheet. Ifpressure is used in casting it may not be necessary to shave the backface of the soft metal backing 12. The phenolic sheet which of courselies at the opposite face of the metal sheet from the backing 12, maynow be stripped from the metal sheet, and we have a complete stereotypeplate composed of a backing faced with a hard,.closegrained metal sheet,which will in printing produce effects simulating electrotype work, theplate itself closely resembling an electrotype in appearance. I alsodesire to call attention to the fact that when the phenolic sheet isstripped from the metal sheet, after the casting operation, it, ofitself, .constitutes a'matrix with type depressions and as such may-beused in the production or duplicationof other cast plates or printinfaces. In other words, it provides a bar durable rigid matrix or moldwhich may be used an indefinite number of times for the manufacture ofduplicate plates or printing faces. phenolic matrix I may employ aresilient or plastic backing constituting a blanket or pressure surfaceagainst which pressure is exerted to force the metallic sheet or platematrix with the aid of aresilient yieldable body such as a rubberblanket, or with a plastic material such as a fusible phenoliccomposition. The casting of'the soft metal back on the metal sheet wouldbe accomplished in this instance just as above described.

fWhile I have herein shown and described one embodiment of my inventionI wish it to be understood that do not confine myself to all the detailsherein set forthbyway of illustration, as modification and variation maybe made without departing from the spirit of the invention or exceedingthe scope of the appended claims. What claimiis: 1. The herein describedmethod ing a, rinting plate which comprises plac ing a acing sheet incontact with the printing face of'a body of type, imposing a secof mak--In forming a plate with such a to impress the type faces in the facingsheet and to transfer such impression to the second sheet, removing thetwo contacting sheets from the type body, and then depositing a backingbody of soft material against the exposed face of the facing sheet whilethe latter is still in contact with the second sheet, said backing bodybeing subsequently hardened to form a permanent backing for the facingsheet, and then stripping the facing sheet with its backing body fromthe second sheet.

2. The herein described method of making a printing plate whichcomprises placing a.

second sheet and substantially harden and set the latter, removing thetwo contacting sheets from the type body and then depositing a body ofmolten metal against the exposed face of the metallic sheet while thelatter is still in contact with the second sheet,

said molten metal forming a metallic backing for the said metallicfacing sheet, and then stripping the second sheet from the metallicfacing sheet.

3. The herein described method of making a printing plate whichcomprises placing a metallic facing sheet in contact with the printingface of a body of type, imposing a second sheet containing a phenoliccondensation product on the metallic sheet, subjecting the two sheets toheat and pressure to impress the type faces in the metallic sheet and totransfer such impression to the second sheet and to substantially hardenand set the latter, removing the two contacting sheets from the typebody and then depositing a body of molten metal against the exposed faceof the metallic sheet while the latter is still in contact with andsupported on the second sheet, said molten metal formin a permanentmetallic backing for said meta lic facing sheet, and then stripping thesecond sheet from the metallic facing sheet.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York thisth day of November, A. D. 1916.

EMIL E. NOVQTNY.

